What do your fears say about your view of God?

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10

What do your fears say about your view of God? In the midst of our anxiety or when we are facing uncertainty, this question rarely, if ever, gets answered. We’re too busy looking for ways to gain back control, experience sanity, or hide our struggles from God and others. Fear can cripple our faith and destroy our connections with those around us. We get to choose between trusting God with our fears or having our lives ruined by them.

Even though fear is an emotion we experience before something occurs, our anxiety and despair can get its fuel from our past experiences. They create an emotional imprint that guides our future reactions, when we encounter similar situations. If we paused and took a moment to examine our hearts, we’d come to the realization that living in fear is living as if God doesn’t exist. We might know in our mind that God is our protector, but we fail to believe it in our heart. Instead, we fall for the lie from the enemy that God has forsaken us, having left us to figure it out on our own. Or simply, that He doesn’t care about us at all. When we choose fear, we make a decision that we are safer, relying on our own understanding and abilities, than trusting God.

Yet, the idea that God would abandon us in our greatest time of need is completely contrary to God’s heart and nature. Throughout Scripture, we see God tell individuals who are gripped by fear to not be afraid. Why? Because He is with them. Because He loves them. Because He views them as valuable. No matter what we might be facing, we can have complete confidence that the God of the universe is by our side. Overcoming our fears and healing our fear based wounds requires that we honestly interrogate the depths of our faith. God is the conqueror of every fear we have. We must keep this truth in front of us because a life of faith requires us to face uncertainty, troubling situations, and difficulty.

After all, without fear, there is no courage and not much faith. The trying times present us with an opportunity to walk in what we believe about God. By displaying courage, we are acknowledging our reliance on Him. What are the small fears that keep you from stepping into God’s purpose for your life? And I’ll ask it again, what do your fears say about your view of God?

This is my Prayer: Father God, when fear makes an appearance in my heart, give me the courage to address it. Lord remind me that I am loved, cared for and valued by You and that no matter where my feet may take me, You are right by my side. Jesus I shall not fear because You are with me, help me to walk in this assurance. In Your name, Jesus. Amen.